Investing in Priority Early Learning Programs

Full-Day Kindergarten Planning Moving Forward

Planning for full-day Kindergarten, announced in Budget 2014: Shared Prosperity, Fair Society, Balanced Outlook, is well underway and the program is on track for implementation province-wide in September 2016. The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education, provided a full-day Kindergarten update today (Wednesday, August 27) to participants at Play the Kindergarten Way, a two-day workshop focusing on early literacy development and play-based learning.

“We have completed Phase I of full-day Kindergarten planning, which included preparations leading up to the Budget 2014 announcement. Phase II is now well underway. It includes conducting individual site visits at schools throughout the province – particularly where we know classroom capacity issues exist – to determine both immediate and longer-term needs in terms of space and teaching resources. Our focus is on ensuring schools are able to offer full-day Kindergarten programming in 2016, even as new schools, extensions and renovations are in progress to increase capacity in areas where it is required.” - The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education

For the latest information on infrastructure requirements at individual schools (recognizing that planning is ongoing), see the backgrounder below.

Minister King said there will be about 140 new teaching positions added to the system to facilitate implementation. While there are capacity challenges in some schools, particularly on the Northeast Avalon, there are also innovative teaching methods – already practised in many schools throughout the province where short-term capacity issues exist – to deliver required programming.

“We have met with the NLTA about a team teaching model, which assigns two fully-qualified teachers to a classroom, where necessary, to ensure pupil-teacher ratios are in accordance with class size caps. Where this practice is currently used, it is a short-term solution and the ratio of students to teachers is much lower than in a standard classroom setting. We know the team teaching model will be required in some schools, in the short-term, to implement full-day Kindergarten in 2016. In such cases the maximum student to teacher ratio would be in the 14:1 range – or two teachers for a maximum 28 students.” - Minister King

Minister King noted that short-term solutions to capacity issues also include the utilization of modular classrooms, where possible. Longer-term solutions, such as the construction of new schools, renovations and extensions will continue, where necessary, and the need for modular classrooms and the team teaching model will decrease accordingly.

“The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association supports the implementation of full-day Kindergarten which is adequately resourced and delivered by qualified teachers. We commend Minister King and his government for moving forward with this initiative. While we understand that the capacity limitations in certain areas will require innovative teaching arrangements to meet short-term needs, the NLTA will continue to work with government during the implementation monitoring process to raise and help address issues and concerns as they arise” - Jim Dinn, President, Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association

Budget 2014: Shared Prosperity, Fair Society, Balanced Outlook, allocates $35.4 million over three years to implement a universal, full-day Kindergarten program, beginning in September 2016, and to further enhance early learning opportunities. The funding represents the beginning of Phase II of the province’s early learning strategy, Learning from the Start. More information on early childhood learning initiatives is available on the Department of Education website at: //www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/earlychildhood/strategy.html.

QUICK FACTS

• The Provincial Government is moving forward to the next stage of implementation of full-day Kindergarten, announced in Budget 2014 and scheduled to be available province-wide in September 2016.
• Phase I of full-day Kindergarten planning included preparations leading up to the Budget 2014 announcement.
• Phase II includes conducting site visits at schools throughout the province to determine specific space requirements, finalizing plans, developing and delivering professional learning focused on play-based learning in the Kindergarten setting, and ensuring teaching resources are assigned to ensure all Kindergarten students will have access to the benefits of full-day programming in 2016.
• Budget 2014 allocates $35.4 million over three years to support early childhood learning initiatives, including the implementation of full-day Kindergarten.

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BACKGROUNDER
Infrastructure Plan for Full-Day Kindergarten
(As of August 27, 2014)*

Plans in Place to Offer Full-Day Kindergarten in 2016

This includes school communities where new schools/extensions are currently in progress or where some internal renovations may be required.

Schools That Will Need Additional Classroom Space (i.e., Modular Classrooms/Extension)

Implementation Plans Ongoing/To Be Finalized

* Information provided is subject to change. Requirements may be adjusted based on site visits/discussions with administrators/changing demographics at individual schools over the next two years.

2014 08 27                                                                                      10:15 a.m.